BJP’s dream of ‘birodhimukt Bharat’ will remain unrealised: Yechury

Agartala: CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Monday said all opposition parties would come together to defeat the BJP’s plot of “birodhimukt Bharat” (opposition-free India).

“BJP hatched a plot to make “birodhimukt Bharat”. It would never be achieved. All opposition secular parties are getting organised to defeat the BJP plot,” Yechury told media persons before leaving here for Maharashtra where he would join the farmers agitation.

The Left leader said that this time the opposition alliance would be on the strength of “niti” (policy) and not on the basis of “neta” (leader).

He said: “After the BJP won the Tripura assembly elections, their cadres unleashed a reign of terror over the past one week across the state to turn Tripura “birodhimukt” as part of their larger plan of “opposition-free India”.

The Left leader refused to accept that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was on the rise in India as, according to him, the saffron party lost many elections in the BJP-ruled states.

During the past four days, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) General Secretary, accompanied by former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and other party leaders and MPs, visited many post-poll violence-hit areas of Tripura and spoke to those affected by the incidents.

“The BJP can destroy the party offices, attack people and their assets, but they cannot annihilate an ideology. The CPI-M might win or lose the elections, but it would continue to be the champion of people’s cause.”

He claimed that a huge number of CPI-M and other Left parties’ offices were set on fire, ransacked and vandalised; hundreds of houses, shops and other assets owned by Left leaders and supporters were either burnt down or destroyed by BJP members and thousands of people driven out from their homes and villages.

“Thousands of people apprehending fresh attack are unable to join their work places. Large-scale extortion of money and intimidation are continuing,” Yechury told reporters.

Yechury demanded an end to the violence in the state.

The CPI-M General Secretary urged the newly formed BJP government to give proper compensations to those affected — to bear the treatment cost of the hundreds of injured, provide security to the fear-stricken lot, and return of the hundreds of party offices forcibly occupied to their rightful owners.

He said the issue of violent incidents in Tripura would be raised in Parliament and the matter would be discussed with all opposition parties as well.

“The incidents of violence and related issues would be taken up with the Centre. In this hour of distress, Tripura would not remain alone… the entire country is with the people of the state,” the CPI-M leader said.